Hama:
Initially grouping was done based on their entry scores for reading and for writing. Very quickly though you get a feel for where students are at, depending on the task that we're doing. So for the task set, we looked at our class at the moment, it was writing. And looking at both creative and transactional writing.
And so students are at a certain level. That level is being based on what we've been doing in class leading up to this point. So I've grouped them according to their writing level. The writing level is something pretty transparent. We're looking at between levels three and six, well, really two and six, in my class. So I know exactly what to look for, and what to test for, and what to see. And I group them according to that ability. In saying that, I will break things up a little bit. I will get the higher ability students to pair up with those that are needing to work on a certain thing. Sometimes even, a student from say, a low-ability group, while they really excel in a certain area. So I'll put them up and get them to lead other students.
In the computer lab, what that looks like is our high-ability students, they work right in the middle, right in the hub, ideas kind of flow in between them. And that allows me to go around the outside and work with those that are kind of at a level two, three, and even a four. So they're there on the outside. I can really monitor them and work closely with them. And I've got to be really deliberate about where people sit, about who they group with. I need to challenge students socially, on where they sit. But also, I need to be able to work with a certain group on a certain skill. Something they need to focus on that other groups don't need to focus on. So depending on our space, depending on where we're at, they're always in groups.
Student 1:
It helps me better to work in groups so when I don't know something, they can help me with it. And if my friend don't know what they're learning about then I can just help them.
Student 2:
There are lots of different ideas that other people have, so you can add those on to your own ideas and make one really good, cool idea.
Speaker 3:
He helps me learn by mixing Māori with English and he lets... he sometimes lets me choose my own groups.
Hama:
Tuatahi, who's read Te Ao Hou magazine? Ka pai.
So you're going to write a piece for them. Maybe one day you will. Maybe this is the piece being sent to them.
back to Hama's class - teaching inquiry
Published on: 29 Oct 2012
